This invention relates to fulcrum type can openers, and especially those of hand-held, inexpensive design.
Many can ends of sheet metal, even those including closures defined by weakening lines, may at times not be conveniently openable by direct manual tension or pressure. This may be the case when numerous cans are to be successively opened for rapidly dispensing liquid contents, and the strength or dexterity of some persons might be taxed without the aid of a suitable tool. As is well known certain closures are opened by means of lifting tabs and others are simply manually depressed by finger pressure applied at the locality where rupture is to be initiated. The latter may be exemplified by a closure of the general type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,881,630, issued May 6, 1975 in the names of Walter C. Lovell et al.
It is known to provide a lever type can opener which may be fulcrumed on a can rim to cause a pointed extremity of the lever and adjacent V-shaped cutting edges to shear the end metal from an inner point toward the outer rim. End closures defined by weakening lines, however, commonly require the progressive opening to proceed radially from a locality adjacent to the rim and toward a more inward hinged locality to facilitate neat pouring and more complete emptying of the contents.